The present disclosure relates to a paper feeding apparatus that detects recording paper presence/absence, paper feed cassette attaching/detaching, and lift plate reaching rising stop position, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same.
With a typical image forming apparatus, recording papers are placed on a paper feed cassette as a laminate, and a lift plate in the paper feed cassette is raised with a lift motor to separate and supply sheet by sheet a recording paper from the uppermost layer of the recording papers loaded on the lift plate for performing image formation on the recording paper that has been supplied.
In one example of typical image forming apparatus that is capable of supplying a paper from the paper feed cassette, detection of whether or not recording papers are placed on the paper feed cassette as a laminate, whether the paper feed cassette is attached or detached, and whether or not the lift plate has reached the rising stop position is performed. A plurality of detection parts are sometimes provided in one image forming apparatus; for example, there are provided both a recording paper remaining quantity detection part and a paper feed cassette attaching/detaching detecting means part in one image forming apparatus.